GotGibson?
Bench Warmer
Marcos Ambrose, one of the favorites to win Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350, will have to start in the back of the field after blowing an engine in the first practice session Saturday at Infineon Raceway.
Ambrose qualified third for the Sprint Cup race and was on top of the speed chart in the morning practice session Saturday when the engine went up in smoke in the No. 47 Toyota.
"It's really a real shame for us," Ambrose said. "We were looking for a great day tomorrow and now we have to come through the field. But we have good horsepower and we'll bounce back from this."
Ambrose, a Tasmanian who is racing in his first full Cup season, is considered one of the best road racers in NASCAR. But starting at the rear of the field makes winning a much more difficult task in road racing.
"We came from dead last year at Watkins Glen and finished third, so it can be done," Ambrose said. "But we'll have to make some gambles on fuel mileage now to get up there."
The first practice session Saturday also was bad news for David Gilliland and John Andretti, who wrecked exiting pit road. Gilliland ran into the back of Andretti, who had stopped to allow several cars to go by before he entered the track.
"It was 100 percent my fault," Gilliland said. "I was reaching down to turn on some switches and didn't see John had stopped. I feel like an idiot. Our backup car is not really a road-race car. We'll have to dig down to get it the best we can."
Ambrose qualified third for the Sprint Cup race and was on top of the speed chart in the morning practice session Saturday when the engine went up in smoke in the No. 47 Toyota.
"It's really a real shame for us," Ambrose said. "We were looking for a great day tomorrow and now we have to come through the field. But we have good horsepower and we'll bounce back from this."
Ambrose, a Tasmanian who is racing in his first full Cup season, is considered one of the best road racers in NASCAR. But starting at the rear of the field makes winning a much more difficult task in road racing.
"We came from dead last year at Watkins Glen and finished third, so it can be done," Ambrose said. "But we'll have to make some gambles on fuel mileage now to get up there."
The first practice session Saturday also was bad news for David Gilliland and John Andretti, who wrecked exiting pit road. Gilliland ran into the back of Andretti, who had stopped to allow several cars to go by before he entered the track.
"It was 100 percent my fault," Gilliland said. "I was reaching down to turn on some switches and didn't see John had stopped. I feel like an idiot. Our backup car is not really a road-race car. We'll have to dig down to get it the best we can."
